He's always brought out her sunny side. It's the poetry. Poetry is a feast for her starving soul and he makes it all true. Maybe that's what lets her get through to Matt when even Foggy can't. That and the dancing.
She brought tarts, which are like pies, so close enough. The elbowing startles a little sound from her, surprised but not upset; nothing for Matt to worry about. She's learning to adapt to these things. "Yeah, he is, but he's worth it."
Verity takes the offered plate and slides her free arm around Matt's waist so she can cuddle into his side. "I like him." To answer the unaskable question. "Now, come on, you heard him: I have to feed you and take care of you. It's official. I'm not one to disobey orders from your best friend."
But there will be a brief delay for kisses. Just one or two little ones.
i saw that was a thing now! 8D it's a cute deadly ship!! 1/1
They have words and motions. And the truth. That usually drives people apart. Matt thrives on shadow and half truth to get by in the day to day. Knowing that someone can see you, really see you is like standing in full light. There's the real freedom after to express himself with the poetry, with the dance.
Her startle does make him lift his brow. Foggy would never hurt her. And Verity would never ever be put someplace she'd be close to harm.
Her startle does make him lift his brow. Foggy would never hurt her. And Verity would never ever be put someplace she'd be close to harm. Mr. Nelson starts some too and clears his throat to recover. He mutters something like "crazy kids" as he heads back to the conference room. Without looking, and it's with no skill like Matt's, he knows they're going to stand and kiss and be cute.
"I like him too. All the time." Even with his particular eccentricities, but don't they all. "Just don't let him think he can actually order you."
With a plate of food waiting he still is happily wrapped up in her kiss. One, two... they're starting to get addicting. He sighs.
Truth only drives people apart if there's been lies. Truth from the start brings people together, and that's what they've had. Mostly. Enough to make the parts that weren't statistically insignificant. It gives them both a safe space in which to express themselves to each other, to reveal the things they keep so hidden.
She knows that Foggy would never hurt her and that Matt wouldn't leave her side if he thought she were in the slightest danger, and now she's feeling self-conscious. She'd been trying so hard to pretend she's normal, so Matt's friends wouldn't think badly of her, and boy did that not last long.
The kisses are so soothing, it's tempting to linger for more than that sweet pair. Later. They can go back to the kisses later. "Honey, I don't let you give me orders, what makes you think I'd like him get away with it? C'mon, do you want to sit with your friends while we eat?"
This furthers the notion that Verity is a safe place personified. The facts, the truth are in plain sight. He won't hide them from her. Not with intention. Matt is only human. A few get by now and then if he's careless. Knowing what it does to Verity and knowing that he loves and respects her too much to even try something so stupid he can't really remember the last time he pulled a fast one in a large degree.
"Hey," her heart rate and tension don't go unnoticed. "You're okay. Everything's okay," he whispers. Matt brushes his lips against her temple since they're still that close. His plate is held aside just so. Normal is overrated.
"Anybody can try but it sure doesn't mean it will come to pass." He tilts his head and leads the way to their modest conference room.
Karen pauses and lifts her eyes from Foggy. Whatever they were talking about isn't near as important as grinning and being welcoming. "Foggy, here." She scoots her placing and they play musical chairs to make room for Matt and Verity to sit side by side.
Foggy has his fork half lifted to his mouth when it's rushed to start the move. There's something akin to the March Hare and Mad Hatter moving down at their table for clean cups with the zeal.
Matt grins in adoration and embarrassment. He loves them so.
Perhaps Verity hasn't yet picked up on the vibe that the Nelson faction is having its own bouts of self-consciousness. She isn't alone. "We're plenty merry as it is. And that's during working hours." He's about to lift his fork again when he pauses, "has he ever taken you to Josie's?"
They both slip up sometimes. Life has taught them to hide for their own protection, and it's hard to let go of that false sense of safety. But when they do mess up, they fix it. And that's good too. That's real safety: knowing you'll always have a chance to make things better.
Verity sighs and leans into the reassurances. How she hopes he's right. The odds of their relationship surviving if these people don't like her are slim, and she can do the math. He's with them all day, and she's lucky to see her once a week these days. It's not the most reassuring pattern for him to fall into, considering. She knows he loves her. But she's seen how often that isn't enough.
"'Try' is the keyword."
Into the conference room they go; she hangs back, watching Karen and Foggy shuffle themselves around. Matt can sit while she gets them drinks. Lovely lemonade. "Josie's? No. Not yet." Ver sits, resting a hand on Matt's shoulder for a moment. "Favorite bar?"
The fact that there is not only the understanding but chances, multiple chances, there is no other feeling like that on earth. Not a day goes by that doesn't make his prayer list of things to be grateful for. Now that he has this, he won't let go and would say with stubborn certainty that is a standing judgment with or without Foggy and Karen. With is preferred, not required in Murdock logic. How could they not like her is the real question in his brain.
He sits and is purposely slow to get around to eating waiting for Verity to settle. "Thank you, sweetheart."
Reading into Karen's tone, Foggy's too he's confident that everything is fine. "Ah, well, Josie's has a place close to our hearts, budget and uh proximity closeness." Matt tilts his head and lifts his shoulder to touch his cheek to Verity's hand for just a second.
Karen smiles and shakes her head. Her plate is clean but the gang is all here. And their caseload isn't calling anyone away. "It's not exactly the prettiest or cleanest place on the planet but portions are generous and there's always room for more."
Already she is perking up at the idea of female company. Which isn't to say that Matt and Foggy haven't been considerate of her in conversation, Karen Page has felt a real lacking of sisterhood in her life.
"It's my favorite bar," he sends a sidelong took to Karen and then has to clear his throat and TSK in Matt's direction for not admitting as much immediately. "We did Josie a solid to help keep the lights on. She's incredibly grateful. That's usually where we get the most merry with drinks." Which brings about Matt's point to matching their budget. Hah. Well.
Verity doesn't make daily lists of things she's grateful for (surprising as that may be, given her general organizational skills), but Matt's at the very top of any list of good things she might make. She has no gods to thank for him, no saints or angels to ask for help; just her hands and her mind and her heart to make a life with him, if he'll let her.
"You're welcome," she murmurs, fingertips rising to linger on his cheek. Touching him is so distracting; she looks honestly surprised when the others speak up again. She might have forgotten they were in the room. "Ah. Well. When I'm in the neighborhood, yeah. That'd be nice." Unspoken is the fact she'll only come if Matt invites her. She's not going to crash friendship time. Work is different.
Poor Karen. Verity also knows the feelings of a lack of female friendship. There's Samus of course, but she's not the most feminine companion. Karen seems nice so far and Matt says she's smart and funny. Winning traits in Verity's book. They'll have to find time for some girlie bonding things soon. There's got to be a decent nail salon somewhere in the neighborhood.
There is a topic that does not have an organization in her life? Inconceivable!
The return he soaks up completely, utterly. Matt has spent a good deal of his life on his own and it's left a vacancy that has been staggering to some. Verity's gratefulness and all of herself have been giving him a sense of completion like no other.
"There's always room at Josie's place. There's always room for you. If you're in the neighborhood." If. More like when as far as he's concerned.
Matt with all his super senses can't see that they're being watched. And it's with approving gazes. For a few seconds they're in their own little world. Karen finds herself a little wistful but it's plain to see that the distant object of her affection is very happy. In return, it is easing to see that Verity is just as wrapped up in him. What's life without what could have beens?
And Verity. The more she sees her, the more she wants to get to know her. Karen has always had an appreciation for people with eccentricities. That's what brought her into the heart of Nelson and Murdock full time. There's a decent nail salon trip in the future!
"I don't think Matt mentioned where you live, Verity. Close by?" Mr. Murdock clears his throat and focuses on chewing. That detail of how Nexus works... why he needed it that's a little more complicated to work out.
Finally, finally it seems like Matty has found someone who adores him and isn't detrimental to every other aspect of his life. Foggy's a believer. So don't go looking at him for any scorn. Verity is already showing winning qualities in the thoughtfulness department. Seeing the unspoken moment it's sweet.
Also really apparent that Matt is probably going to skip work early or something.
"She lives uptown, that's what you said right, buddy?" Not another dimension. Whoops.
Oh, it's organized, it's just not redone daily. She does it right the first time and makes changes as necessary. It saves so much time for more important things like spoiling Matt.
It's easy to be grateful for someone like him. Her own life was so empty in so many ways, and floods of grief and misery washed over everything good she tried to collect so many times. She's been flooded and washed clean and she hopes to any god who'll listen that he'll be more durable. It's easy to believe he will be when he reacts so eagerly to a little touch.
That's close enough to an invitation for her. "When," she repeats softly. He knows she'll be there.
Oh. So he hasn't told them about that. Matt can hear how nervous the question makes her, but she's prepared for this. "I used to live in the upper east side, but I don't really live in the city right now." A beat. "I'm sure a lot of people moved out of town after... what happened."
Not a lie, but a gentle guiding away from subjects they're not prepared to discuss yet.
"I'm in the city to work and to see Matt as often as possible. Maybe someday I'll be ready to come back on a full-time basis."
Matt has had to be his own drive for light and goodness. There's been loss. Of course. Verity has given him a stability he never knew he lacked or needed. Growing up alone, training alone, working alone... It was what he did. Her flood reached his shores and now it's his newest effort in life is to make her happy, keep her safe.
"...tomorrow?" The question is thrown her way with a wry smile. Near apologetic in this context. He did not bring it up to Karen or Foggy, it's true. The gap in his thoughts is filled with lemonade.
"I end up to be the busier party." He adds because it's sad but true. "I hope that full-time status is sooner than later."
Karen's smile brightens at the idea of drinks and pool with Verity in the mix. Yes! This is exactly what she had in mind. It doesn't last long. She's a tender heart. The idea of having The Incident touch her life too. She lightly puts a hand to her chest and nods. "Of course, no one would blame you. I think that the city benefits from having people like you willing to come back."
"How about we coordinate the drinks around your schedule. I mean, you're the one with the commute. This is our neighborhood." Meaning that tomorrow is absolutely good for Foggy. He is getting to the end of his plate and has slowed up.
"Hell's Kitchen isn't great looking, it's rough and has earned its reputation but you wouldn't be coming on in without friends."
He said the f word. Matt nudges Verity's foot under the table.
She's happy and safe when she's with him. It's not a hardship, she hopes, for him to let her linger around the edges of his life. Because it's sounding like he's inviting her to be a whole lot more than the girl on the side. There's a long lingering stare while she processes that. Is he asking her to move in?
As much as she'd love that, she's careful not to assume that's the case. They'll have to talk about it later. In private. "...yeah, tomorrow." Her answer is a little absent because her mind is still on other things. But they can bet the farm she'll be there.
Not quite The Incident but quite the incident. When Matt's ready to tell them, she'll have stories. Sad, horrible stories. They may not thank anyone for the truth. "Who could stay away from the best city on Earth? I want-- I want to come home," she admits, not quite meaning to. Matt knows why.
The 'F' word didn't go unnoticed, and she's smiling an embarrassed smile now. "You'll all teach me where to shop and where not to eat and things?"
Keeping her, throwing energy in her direction is not a hardship. It's keeping his focus fixed on her as the horizon with the sea of everything else tossing him this way and that way. She is a whole lot more than a girl on the side. She's his girl. His company. The call late at night. The bliping message in a world of chaos.
Lunch is going by fast. How'd that happen. "Tomorrow it is." His quiet fondness is also in response to how well he sees her take the awkwardness of the moment and smooth it out like a blanket. She is amazing.
"You will when you're ready." Matt reaches over and puts his hand over Verity's. He doesn't bother with trying to miss.
A more cheery expression is recovering in Karen's face. Verity's willingness to still venture out in the world, it's inspiring. The two of them will have to partner up and share notes. Time and again she has her own misgivings about the city. It is home, no matter what.
"We'd be happy to help you re-acclimate. It wouldn't even feel like there's a change at all. Everything you need, it's right here. I think that's the best part." That whole boiling pot thing isn't a joke in these parts.
She checks her watch and stands. "I should--I got to finish up calls." Karen collects her plate and reaches for Foggy's seeing he's done. He sighs wistfully and lets her.
"Tomorrow!" Foggy claps his hands together. They're going to drink the eel. He knows it. It's going to be amazing.
A lot has to happen between then and tomorrow. But first thing's first as Karen gets reality back. He scoots away first and stands behind Matt to cover his ears. Matt tenses but laughs and half-heartedly tries to bat away his friend's hands. "Thank you for putting up with him. He's worth the headache. We'll back you up." When his wrists get squeezed it's Foggy's turn to wince a little.
"Whatever you need, Verity. Don't be afraid to ask!" Oh now desk work seems extraordinarily interesting. That's where Foggy goes.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow... she will never drink the eel. Sorry, Foggy.
Verity can be the solid shore holding off his sea of chaos. She can take the beating. She will be his shelter from every kind of storm. And this port will come to him. With food.
Food she's barely touched, and has forgotten about now he's touching her. She turns her hand under his so they can lace their fingers together. "Soon," and the weight of the promise isn't in the volume of the whisper. "I think soon."
Karen gets a grateful smile; Ver can guess what she's doing and appreciates it. They'll have some girl time soon. Time to talk and share strategies for dealing with this amazing mess of a city. And to talk about costumed vigilantes and protecting themselves. Maybe a trip to the shooting range will be in order, since Karen's got a gun at home.
"Thank you, both of you." It's offered a little shyly, but it's heartfelt.
Foggy's antics get a smirk, but there's a protective edge there behind the amusement. "Matt is one of the few things in my life that's never been a headache." Which probably says more about her than she intends it to.
Once they're alone again, Ver takes both Matt's hands in hers. Her way of catching his eye to make sure she has his attention. "Honey... there's something I need to tell you. I'm okay, I'm not hurt or sick or anything." A quick reassurance, because they're both worriers. "But something happened you should know about."
That's where the easy part of the conversation ends. She releases one of his hands to take a sip of lemonade before trying to go on. "I met this guy a couple of weeks ago, and he's nice and I like spending time with him... he flirts a lot, and I thought I had shut that down gently enough to be friends with him, but now... now he says he's in love with me and I don't know what to do about that. Anyway. I thought I should tell you before you hear things from someone else."
It's not hard to tell she's feeling conflicted, confused, hurt and worried about all of this. He knows she doesn't have the experience in these things to know how to handle it gently, and she doesn't want to do things the way she would have before. This whole 'kinder gentler Verity' gig isn't easy to figure out.
She'll at least be obligated to help get to the eel. They can share the blame. Maybe it will be Matt's turn. He and Karen did it. Rite of passage business at Josie's.
Solid, stable and very real. Right now they're in the eye of a storm without even realizing. Verity has all the skills of a brawler in matters of the heart, taking a beating and still standing. It's that fighting spirit that is also a part of their common bond. Distance has only made him want these moments more. Matt looks forward to the emails and texts when he wakes. And returns his own before turning in no matter the hour. And she's right here in his office.
Except now it dawns on him she hasn't touched lunch. That's when worry starts to settle in. Even as the smiles and parting words to his dear friends go back and forth.
Matt exhales and clutches her hand. Okay here it comes. Not sickness. Well, that takes some worrisome winds from his sails. He even a laughs a little. It's like she plucked the idea right out of his head. That's how they work. "Okay," both would be bad and it's not this, "what happened?"
His glasses are on, he is in the office. Verity can watch a crease form in his brow as he focuses on what she's saying. "In love with you?" Mostly because of surprise is why he repeats it. "You're...wonderful. Of course." Another laugh but this one is less filled with comedy. Come the fuck on, Murdock. He squeezes her hands. "It's okay. I know you wouldn't lead anyone on." This man for sure. And she would never, ever do that to him and he knows it. This is the uppercut thought to his own dancing nerves.
Drinking them all under the table isn't going to be a problem.
Verity's had to fight for every scrap of good feeling she's ever had. Emotional brawling is second nature for her. Trusting is another thing. And now she's let Matt in. None of the fighting, not with him; none of the pain demanding payment in kind. If they're brawlers they're fighting back to back now, and let the storms come.
They're two of a kind in so many ways. It's easy to predict him. Sometimes. But not often enough that there's no delightful surprises. Sometimes less delightful ones. There's a little prick of pain when he seems so surprised. She knows she's unlovable but he's not supposed to agree. And now he's hurting, and she regrets telling him.
"I love you, Matthew." He can hear the truth of it. "I want to be with you." She lifts his hands and turns them so she can kiss the backs and then the palms. "Should I not have told you? I don't want to keep secrets but if you don't want to know things, I won't tell you."
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fightlikehell) wrote2016-03-09 03:05 pm
I hate Elektra rn but also kinda hope she and Frank get together like in the comics.
She brought tarts, which are like pies, so close enough. The elbowing startles a little sound from her, surprised but not upset; nothing for Matt to worry about. She's learning to adapt to these things. "Yeah, he is, but he's worth it."
Verity takes the offered plate and slides her free arm around Matt's waist so she can cuddle into his side. "I like him." To answer the unaskable question. "Now, come on, you heard him: I have to feed you and take care of you. It's official. I'm not one to disobey orders from your best friend."
But there will be a brief delay for kisses. Just one or two little ones.
i saw that was a thing now! 8D it's a cute deadly ship!! 1/1
Her startle does make him lift his brow. Foggy would never hurt her. And Verity would never ever be put someplace she'd be close to harm.
Her startle does make him lift his brow. Foggy would never hurt her. And Verity would never ever be put someplace she'd be close to harm. Mr. Nelson starts some too and clears his throat to recover. He mutters something like "crazy kids" as he heads back to the conference room. Without looking, and it's with no skill like Matt's, he knows they're going to stand and kiss and be cute.
"I like him too. All the time." Even with his particular eccentricities, but don't they all. "Just don't let him think he can actually order you."
With a plate of food waiting he still is happily wrapped up in her kiss. One, two... they're starting to get addicting. He sighs.
It's kind of frightening sometimes.
She knows that Foggy would never hurt her and that Matt wouldn't leave her side if he thought she were in the slightest danger, and now she's feeling self-conscious. She'd been trying so hard to pretend she's normal, so Matt's friends wouldn't think badly of her, and boy did that not last long.
The kisses are so soothing, it's tempting to linger for more than that sweet pair. Later. They can go back to the kisses later. "Honey, I don't let you give me orders, what makes you think I'd like him get away with it? C'mon, do you want to sit with your friends while we eat?"
oh i can imagine, yes 1/3
"Hey," her heart rate and tension don't go unnoticed. "You're okay. Everything's okay," he whispers. Matt brushes his lips against her temple since they're still that close. His plate is held aside just so. Normal is overrated.
"Anybody can try but it sure doesn't mean it will come to pass." He tilts his head and leads the way to their modest conference room.
(〜￣▽￣)〜 2/3
"The more the merrier!"
3/3
Matt grins in adoration and embarrassment. He loves them so.
Perhaps Verity hasn't yet picked up on the vibe that the Nelson faction is having its own bouts of self-consciousness. She isn't alone. "We're plenty merry as it is. And that's during working hours." He's about to lift his fork again when he pauses, "has he ever taken you to Josie's?"
( '_')0*´¯`·.¸.·´¯`°Q('_' ) http://i.imgur.com/oJ3FjpV.jpg
Verity sighs and leans into the reassurances. How she hopes he's right. The odds of their relationship surviving if these people don't like her are slim, and she can do the math. He's with them all day, and she's lucky to see her once a week these days. It's not the most reassuring pattern for him to fall into, considering. She knows he loves her. But she's seen how often that isn't enough.
"'Try' is the keyword."
Into the conference room they go; she hangs back, watching Karen and Foggy shuffle themselves around. Matt can sit while she gets them drinks. Lovely lemonade. "Josie's? No. Not yet." Ver sits, resting a hand on Matt's shoulder for a moment. "Favorite bar?"
oohhhh that's good ;0; 1/3
He sits and is purposely slow to get around to eating waiting for Verity to settle. "Thank you, sweetheart."
Reading into Karen's tone, Foggy's too he's confident that everything is fine. "Ah, well, Josie's has a place close to our hearts, budget and uh proximity closeness." Matt tilts his head and lifts his shoulder to touch his cheek to Verity's hand for just a second.
2/3
Already she is perking up at the idea of female company. Which isn't to say that Matt and Foggy haven't been considerate of her in conversation, Karen Page has felt a real lacking of sisterhood in her life.
3/3
"You should definitely come with us."
°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸,ø¤°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸
"You're welcome," she murmurs, fingertips rising to linger on his cheek. Touching him is so distracting; she looks honestly surprised when the others speak up again. She might have forgotten they were in the room. "Ah. Well. When I'm in the neighborhood, yeah. That'd be nice." Unspoken is the fact she'll only come if Matt invites her. She's not going to crash friendship time. Work is different.
Poor Karen. Verity also knows the feelings of a lack of female friendship. There's Samus of course, but she's not the most feminine companion. Karen seems nice so far and Matt says she's smart and funny. Winning traits in Verity's book. They'll have to find time for some girlie bonding things soon. There's got to be a decent nail salon somewhere in the neighborhood.
“:♡.•♬✧⁽⁽ଘ( ˊᵕˋ )ଓ⁾⁾*+:•*∴ 1/3
The return he soaks up completely, utterly. Matt has spent a good deal of his life on his own and it's left a vacancy that has been staggering to some. Verity's gratefulness and all of herself have been giving him a sense of completion like no other.
"There's always room at Josie's place. There's always room for you. If you're in the neighborhood." If. More like when as far as he's concerned.
2/3
And Verity. The more she sees her, the more she wants to get to know her. Karen has always had an appreciation for people with eccentricities. That's what brought her into the heart of Nelson and Murdock full time. There's a decent nail salon trip in the future!
"I don't think Matt mentioned where you live, Verity. Close by?" Mr. Murdock clears his throat and focuses on chewing. That detail of how Nexus works... why he needed it that's a little more complicated to work out.
3/3
Also really apparent that Matt is probably going to skip work early or something.
"She lives uptown, that's what you said right, buddy?" Not another dimension. Whoops.
~~~~~~~~*\o/~~~~~/\*~~~~~~~
It's easy to be grateful for someone like him. Her own life was so empty in so many ways, and floods of grief and misery washed over everything good she tried to collect so many times. She's been flooded and washed clean and she hopes to any god who'll listen that he'll be more durable. It's easy to believe he will be when he reacts so eagerly to a little touch.
That's close enough to an invitation for her. "When," she repeats softly. He knows she'll be there.
Oh. So he hasn't told them about that. Matt can hear how nervous the question makes her, but she's prepared for this. "I used to live in the upper east side, but I don't really live in the city right now." A beat. "I'm sure a lot of people moved out of town after... what happened."
Not a lie, but a gentle guiding away from subjects they're not prepared to discuss yet.
"I'm in the city to work and to see Matt as often as possible. Maybe someday I'll be ready to come back on a full-time basis."
@))~~~>~~~~ 1/3
"...tomorrow?" The question is thrown her way with a wry smile. Near apologetic in this context. He did not bring it up to Karen or Foggy, it's true. The gap in his thoughts is filled with lemonade.
"I end up to be the busier party." He adds because it's sad but true. "I hope that full-time status is sooner than later."
2/3
For work and for Matt.
3/3
"Hell's Kitchen isn't great looking, it's rough and has earned its reputation but you wouldn't be coming on in without friends."
He said the f word. Matt nudges Verity's foot under the table.
(✿ ♥‿♥)
As much as she'd love that, she's careful not to assume that's the case. They'll have to talk about it later. In private. "...yeah, tomorrow." Her answer is a little absent because her mind is still on other things. But they can bet the farm she'll be there.
Not quite The Incident but quite the incident. When Matt's ready to tell them, she'll have stories. Sad, horrible stories. They may not thank anyone for the truth. "Who could stay away from the best city on Earth? I want-- I want to come home," she admits, not quite meaning to. Matt knows why.
The 'F' word didn't go unnoticed, and she's smiling an embarrassed smile now. "You'll all teach me where to shop and where not to eat and things?"
♡✧( ु•⌄• ) 1/3
Lunch is going by fast. How'd that happen. "Tomorrow it is." His quiet fondness is also in response to how well he sees her take the awkwardness of the moment and smooth it out like a blanket. She is amazing.
"You will when you're ready." Matt reaches over and puts his hand over Verity's. He doesn't bother with trying to miss.
2/3
"We'd be happy to help you re-acclimate. It wouldn't even feel like there's a change at all. Everything you need, it's right here. I think that's the best part." That whole boiling pot thing isn't a joke in these parts.
She checks her watch and stands. "I should--I got to finish up calls." Karen collects her plate and reaches for Foggy's seeing he's done. He sighs wistfully and lets her.
3/3
A lot has to happen between then and tomorrow. But first thing's first as Karen gets reality back. He scoots away first and stands behind Matt to cover his ears. Matt tenses but laughs and half-heartedly tries to bat away his friend's hands. "Thank you for putting up with him. He's worth the headache. We'll back you up." When his wrists get squeezed it's Foggy's turn to wince a little.
"Whatever you need, Verity. Don't be afraid to ask!" Oh now desk work seems extraordinarily interesting. That's where Foggy goes.
bit.ly/1PrmHmO
Verity can be the solid shore holding off his sea of chaos. She can take the beating. She will be his shelter from every kind of storm. And this port will come to him. With food.
Food she's barely touched, and has forgotten about now he's touching her. She turns her hand under his so they can lace their fingers together. "Soon," and the weight of the promise isn't in the volume of the whisper. "I think soon."
Karen gets a grateful smile; Ver can guess what she's doing and appreciates it. They'll have some girl time soon. Time to talk and share strategies for dealing with this amazing mess of a city. And to talk about costumed vigilantes and protecting themselves. Maybe a trip to the shooting range will be in order, since Karen's got a gun at home.
"Thank you, both of you." It's offered a little shyly, but it's heartfelt.
Foggy's antics get a smirk, but there's a protective edge there behind the amusement. "Matt is one of the few things in my life that's never been a headache." Which probably says more about her than she intends it to.
Once they're alone again, Ver takes both Matt's hands in hers. Her way of catching his eye to make sure she has his attention. "Honey... there's something I need to tell you. I'm okay, I'm not hurt or sick or anything." A quick reassurance, because they're both worriers. "But something happened you should know about."
That's where the easy part of the conversation ends. She releases one of his hands to take a sip of lemonade before trying to go on. "I met this guy a couple of weeks ago, and he's nice and I like spending time with him... he flirts a lot, and I thought I had shut that down gently enough to be friends with him, but now... now he says he's in love with me and I don't know what to do about that. Anyway. I thought I should tell you before you hear things from someone else."
It's not hard to tell she's feeling conflicted, confused, hurt and worried about all of this. He knows she doesn't have the experience in these things to know how to handle it gently, and she doesn't want to do things the way she would have before. This whole 'kinder gentler Verity' gig isn't easy to figure out.
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Solid, stable and very real. Right now they're in the eye of a storm without even realizing. Verity has all the skills of a brawler in matters of the heart, taking a beating and still standing. It's that fighting spirit that is also a part of their common bond. Distance has only made him want these moments more. Matt looks forward to the emails and texts when he wakes. And returns his own before turning in no matter the hour. And she's right here in his office.
Except now it dawns on him she hasn't touched lunch. That's when worry starts to settle in. Even as the smiles and parting words to his dear friends go back and forth.
Matt exhales and clutches her hand. Okay here it comes. Not sickness. Well, that takes some worrisome winds from his sails. He even a laughs a little. It's like she plucked the idea right out of his head. That's how they work. "Okay," both would be bad and it's not this, "what happened?"
His glasses are on, he is in the office. Verity can watch a crease form in his brow as he focuses on what she's saying. "In love with you?" Mostly because of surprise is why he repeats it. "You're...wonderful. Of course." Another laugh but this one is less filled with comedy. Come the fuck on, Murdock. He squeezes her hands. "It's okay. I know you wouldn't lead anyone on." This man for sure. And she would never, ever do that to him and he knows it. This is the uppercut thought to his own dancing nerves.
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Verity's had to fight for every scrap of good feeling she's ever had. Emotional brawling is second nature for her. Trusting is another thing. And now she's let Matt in. None of the fighting, not with him; none of the pain demanding payment in kind. If they're brawlers they're fighting back to back now, and let the storms come.
They're two of a kind in so many ways. It's easy to predict him. Sometimes. But not often enough that there's no delightful surprises. Sometimes less delightful ones. There's a little prick of pain when he seems so surprised. She knows she's unlovable but he's not supposed to agree. And now he's hurting, and she regrets telling him.
"I love you, Matthew." He can hear the truth of it. "I want to be with you." She lifts his hands and turns them so she can kiss the backs and then the palms. "Should I not have told you? I don't want to keep secrets but if you don't want to know things, I won't tell you."
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daww verrr http://bit.ly/1UNEJX5
#lokity 4ever <3 bit.ly/1pJcIEK
oh my god nails
Yes their fan art is presh. bit.ly/1SiDOvt
the loki bunch! ....end?
New Loki, Kid Loki, and KL's bff Leah. And Ver obvs. And end.